New Notes Pose Serious Challenges To Visually Impaired, This Petition Demands To Make It Accessible

[For those who want to sign online for the petition can click on the link here]

The new currency notes introduced by the Reserve Bank of India post demonetisation are proving extremely difficult to the blinds, due to almost similar sizes, said a report by the Moneylife.

The old notes had a difference of 10 mm in case of each note, either in height or in each denomination, for new notes this has been reduced to 4 mm. In fact, the old Rs 20 note and the new Rs 200 notes are of the same size. Both being orange in colour, it becomes difficult with persons having low vision to differentiate between the two videos and make appropriate transactions.

Difficulties in recognition

How would you live life, if there is no way to identify notes while you conduct transactions? In each monetary transaction, if there is no way to differentiate the notes, coins and total amount? This is frightening as well as disabling.

This situation prevails for almost over 50 lakh blind people in India and lakhs of senior citizens with low eyesight. Blind people identify notes by its size while people with low vision and illiterate ones identify these notes by its colour.

The new notes, however, have multiplied the challenge. Digital currency still remains inaccessible though they can use computers and apps through assistive technology. Totally blind people need differently sized notes and tactile marks that can be easily felt by touch. Low vision individuals need contrast colours and large font.

After several attempts in trying to see RBI with a reason, various organisations working with the blinds and the blind community in India have decided to go public with their frustration. The way to reduce the problem is to withdraw tattered notes faster.

Noted Advocate and Solicitor Kanchan Pamnani told the Moneylife, “The international standard for the difference in currency note sizes is 5 mm. However, in new currency notes of Rs 50 and Rs 200, the difference is just 4 mm. We heard that the new Rs 100 note is being proposed will have a difference of just 2 mm when aligned with Rs 50 or Rs 200 note. There is already a public interest litigation filed in the court and we will intervene in the matter, on 30 October 2017.”

In 2009 and 2011, the RBI had held a consultative meeting with the associations of blind people. It even sought answers from NGOs in 2015 regarding the new design and size of currency notes. Advocate Pamnani said, no petition is of any avail, hey listen, they sympathize but they don’t come to any tangible solution.

Online petition

The Blind graduates Forum of India has even started a petition. It says, “With this petition, we urge the society to come together as a whole and contribute towards making the lives of fellow citizens much more independent. Before you go ahead and support us by signing this petition, please close your eyes and take any of the new denominations in your hand, for example, Rs 200 and Rs 20, or coins of Re 1 and Rs 2. Try to identify the difference between the two. It is also important to understand that the difficulty increases as the currency gets older with all the folds caused due to repeated use.”

While blind entrepreneurs are taxpayers and job creators, the Government and RBI have created an unnecessary scenario by introducing inaccessible currency, which makes them dependent again.

Quoting a blind entrepreneur, the Petition says, “I run my business. I have to deal with numerous transactions on a daily basis. Once I happen to give a 500 note instead Rs 20 note. The customer happily took it. I came to know about it only when my father told me about this.”

The Petition is addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, RBI Governor Dr Urjit Patel, Director of Coin and Currency sections in the Ministry of Finance and Secretary in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

What are the possible solutions

The petition seeks the intervention of the government on these issues:

Proposed solution: Bleed lines on polymer notes are perceptible, and not on paper notes. So shift to polymer notes. Withdraw the new Rs50 and Rs100 notes on priority and introduce notes with at least 10mm variation and easily perceptible markings that does not fade with use.

No variation in shape, size and colour in coins.

Proposed Solution: Adopt different shape, size and colour. Withdraw old coins of Re1, Rs2 and Rs5.

Inaccessible ATMs

Proposed solutions: All ATMs need to be accessible for all persons with disabilities.

The Logical Indian community wholeheartedly supports the efforts put in and also the urges the community members to sign the petition.

Visually Impaired Person Denied Job After Receiving Offer Letter

Partner Story

Even at 76, Pradip Burman, the zestful chairman of Mobius Foundation radiates a contagious enthusiasm when he is talking about sustainability. The environmental crusader, better known to many as the great-grandson of Dabur founder Dr S.K.Burman, has devoted substantial attention towards promoting the concept of sustainability in all aspects of life. He refuses to conform to the convenience and comfort in today’s world which ultimately adds on to the adverse effects of climate change.

Talking to The Logical Indian, Burman emphasised why sustainability as a concept is indispensable for us. “We ought to be aware of what lies ahead of us. Soon we will finish the oil, iron, tin, and coal, and our next generations will be left with nothing. Recycling, banning plastics, stop felling trees for paper… This should become a part of everyone’s lifestyle,” he urges.

Mr Burman watering a sapling at the tree plantation drive organised by his non-profit Mobius Foundation

Traditional wisdom and modern research

A mechanical engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, Burman had always nurtured a keen interest in helping the society, as evident from his graduation project of designing a sonic aid for the visually challenged, which detected obstacles in the way using ultrasonic wave signals.

As an executive for the nature-centric company Dabur, Burman has always opted for natural alternatives to solve his everyday problems like taking Ayurvedic medicine to cure his Arthritis. He later launched the veterinary wing for Dabur – Ayurvet – which provides nature-friendly solutions for animal health care.

A patron of the ancient scientific wisdom of India, Burman always hailed the confluence of “traditional knowledge and modern research”, which he advocated as the Ayurvet motto.

Ayurvet is one of the best ventures by Mr Burman

As part of the CSR initiative of Dabur, Pradip Burman founded SUNDESH (Sustainable Development Society) which has been tirelessly working for last 25 years in remote villages for uplifting the rural communities in an environmentally sustainable way.

An advocate of sustainability

Burman believes that sustainability is the indispensable mantra for the world at present. Due to uncontrolled utilisation of the planet’s resources by human beings, the world today stands at a juncture of destabilisation. Today the human race has reached the pinnacle of progress but the advancement is happening in a very unsustainable manner.

Through energy-efficient use of everyday essentials like transport, communication, altered habits of diet, clothing and daily living, some crusaders of sustainability try to reduce their carbon footprint. Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is one of the forerunners toward sustainability goals.

Mobius Foundation aims to change the sustainability dynamics

In 2015, Burman paved the way for the start of Mobius Foundation, focused on sustainability. Named after 18th-century German mathematician August Ferdinand Mobius, the famous Mobius strip has an important philosophical significance. The extraordinary shape symbolises balance and union.

Similar is the essence of Mobius Foundation which wishes to enhance the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” principle to a widespread basis in India, helping generations to come.

Founder Pradip Burman wishes to achieve notable development in education, population stabilisation and renewable energy projects.

A dream school in the making

At Coorg, Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is constructing the World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) where the curriculum will surpass the boundaries of books and classrooms, with a special focus on hands-on learning in close collaboration with the environment. Amidst the pristine natural beauty of Coorg, the school will nurture young minds to grow up into future green leaders. As of now, the school will be open to teenagers, welcoming students from standards 6 to 12.

Needless to say, World Environment School will be the first-of-its-kind not only in India but also in entire South Asia. The school is expected to start from March 2020.

The school promises to nurture the responsible behaviour of citizens of our future.

The Sustainability Conference of 2019

In 2019, the Mobius Foundation has planned an international conference, on the lines of the celebrated earth summits over the past decade. The 2019 International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE 2019) aims to bring together environmental activists, practitioners of sustainable development as well as climate change experts to help develop a sustainability-focused curriculum.

It is surmised that the conference will give a platform to innovative concepts of Sustainability Education including an essential change in the existing education system ensuring a wholesome personal development for a student.

The Sustainability crusader

The Mobius founder strongly believes that it is high time to sprout sustainability awareness among a society drowning in consumerism and unknowingly doing irreparable harm to the planet, every second. The best way to achieve this goal is through education which is available to all. At present, the education system is predominantly career-oriented, making the learners a victim of materialism, and thus, their dreams are also outlined in those colours.

Living beyond the limits

When asked about his wish to attain the age of hundred, he strongly asserts that more than becoming a centurion, he wishes his life and work continue to better the society even in his absence. “I have lived my life. I wish that whatever I start before I go, will continue – for the betterment of my country,” says Mr Pradip Burman.

He is also a trustee of the Climate Reality Project – India (affiliated to Mr. Al Gore of the Climate Reality Project Foundation, USA). Climate Reality Project, India, has been actively engaged igniting the spark and spreading the message of climate change amongst educators, policy makers and civil society. The India branch looks after more than 500 trained Climate Leaders, and more than 900 volunteers spread all over the country.

In his journey, Pradip Burman has been a beacon of hope for millions, motivating many to join the movement for sustainability. We wish he continues his tireless efforts for promoting sustainability awareness and inspire generations to come.